Greenville Tech breaks ground on welding center

Greenville Technical College broke ground this week on the Center for Welding and Automation Excellence at the Brashier Campus, a facility dedicated to showcasing and advancing the latest technology and tools of the welding trade.

The 44,000-square-foot facility, expected to open for fall semester 2026, is designed to address a critical welding shortage head-on, according to a news release. Currently, there are 400,000 welding job openings nationwide and only one new welder prepared to enter the workforce for every four who retire or leave the field.

“We look forward to solving the welding challenge in workforce development with the Center for Welding and Automation Excellence,” Keith Miller, president of Greenville Technical College, said in the release. “Our planning team visited similar enterprise campuses across four states. Borrowing ideas from some of the best, our facility will be second to none.”

This facility is made possible with a $15 million commitment from the South Carolina General Assembly and will be outfitted with $3 million in equipment thanks to the federal government, the release stated.

On the ground floor, the facility will feature classrooms and labs infused with the latest instructional technology. An artificial intelligence welding lab will serve as a hands-on demonstration space where AI-powered welding systems will be utilized to improve precision, efficiency and quality in welding processes, the release said. A Robotics Welding Lab will allow students to master the possibilities of automated welding. A Non-Destructive Testing Lab will showcase the essential role of inspection and testing in ensuring the integrity and reliability of welded structures, the release stated. MIG, pipe and laser welding labs will provide students with cutting edge training. Learning spaces will be expanded, increasing capacity from four robotic welding stations to 16 and increasing total welding stations from 90 to 140.

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In addition to breakout rooms for group work or industry partnership meetings as well as dedicated study space, the building’s second floor will feature windows overlooking the training taking place below.

Sen. Lindsey Graham joined Greenville Technical College faculty, staff, students, Area Commission members and others for the groundbreaking ceremony.